Energy allocation system

ABSTRACT

Energy allocation system comprises a solar panel system and a local energy storage system, each capable of being plugged into a power socket of a home grid and each having a communication unit. The system further comprises a control unit, comprising a third communication unit, configured to receive the information relating to the solar panel system, and the information relating to the energy storage system via said communication units, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to determine, based on the received information, an allocation of energy in the home grid to the energy storage system, and to accordingly generate a control signal for the energy storage system. The third communication unit is further configured to transmit the generated control signal to the energy storage system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation patent application of co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 17/311,660 entitled “Energy AllocationSystem” filed on Jun. 7, 2021, which is a US 371 application fromPCT/EP2019/084685 entitled “ENERGY ALLOCATION SYSTEM” filed on Dec. 11,2019 and published as WO 2020/120591 A1 on Jun. 18, 2020, which claimspriority to EP Patent Application No. 18212041.0 filed on Dec. 12, 2018.The technical disclosures of every application and publication listed inthis paragraph are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The invention relates to the architecture of a system for the improvedallocation of energy supply and consumption. The system is in particularforeseen for use in a home environment, such as in an apartment or ahouse, in which at least one local energy source, at least one energystorage device, and a plurality of energy consuming devices are allplugged in to a same home energy grid.

BACKGROUND

Traditional allocation of energy supply in a home is simple: energy issupplied from the outside (i.e. from the public energy grid) to the homeenergy grid, and is consumed by a variety of electric equipment pluggedinto this home energy grid. Increasingly, local, independent productionof energy occurs, for instance in the form of roof top solar panels.This is then a second source of power, which is supplied to the homeenergy grid. All generated energy which is not consumed in the householdis added to the public grid, and consumers may get a fee for such energyproduction. Thereto, such systems include a separate meter to tracksupply of electricity to the public grid.

The solar panels, or other local energy sources, may be installed by aspecialized technician, but so-called “plug&play” solutions, in which auser can simply plug the panels into an existing electrical powersocket/outlet, have also been proposed. Note that in the descriptionbelow, solar panels are used as an exemplary system, but this is notintended to exclude other types of local, independent energy sources,such as for instance systems based on wind energy.

Local, independent energy sources, such as solar panels, often have anirregular and/or unpredictable yield of energy. Therefore, it can beadvantageous to enable temporary storage of energy in an energy storagesystem within the home, such as a battery, to prevent endless switchingbetween getting energy from the public grid and delivering energy to thepublic grid.

In existing solutions, such an energy storage system is often integratedand/or closely connected to the solar panel system. In particular, thesolar panels and the energy storage system are generally connected inseries, to assure that together, they function as an energy source witha more reliable and stable production: if the energy produced by thesolar panels and stored in the battery is less than is required by theenergy consuming devices, it will be supplemented from the public grid;if the solar panel produces more than is required by the energyconsuming devices, this excess energy will first be used to charge thebattery, and only put back into the public grid if the battery is full;and if the solar panel does not yield any energy (for instance at night)but there is still energy in the battery, this will be available to theenergy consuming devices.

This system, in principle, works fairly well. However, it requires aspecialized technician to install for non-plug-and-play versions, and isquite inflexible: it cannot be controlled, and it is difficult to modifyeither the solar panels or the storage capacity. Furthermore, thissystem often restricts the placement of the storage system, and may evenrequire placement outside, under less than ideal conditions for thelifecycle of the battery.

Batteries of the “plug&play” type, which can be plugged into a powersocket/outlet of the home grid, have also been proposed. However, adrawback is that since these batteries are connected in parallel to thesolar panels, and since it is not possible to distinguish in the homegrid between energy produced by the solar panels and energy originatingfrom the public grid, there may be an undesirable draw from the publicgrid to keep the battery charged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to resolve at least some of theabove-mentioned problems. In particular, it aims at improving energyallocation in systems in which at least one local energy source, atleast one energy storage device, and a plurality of energy consumingdevices are all plugged in to a same home energy grid. Such improvedallocation is desired currently so as to reduce costs and personallyengage people in sustainable development, and, in the future, as theenergy supply is expected to decrease due to limitations in theproduction of electricity, and also in light of maintenance andstability issues with the public electricity grid already occurring.

The desirable improved energy allocation may be achieved according to afirst aspect in a system comprising:

-   -   a local energy source, preferably a solar panel system, capable        of being plugged into a power socket of a home grid, and        comprising or being communicatively coupled to a first        communication unit configured to transmit information relating        to the local energy source;    -   a local energy storage system, capable of being plugged into        another power socket of the home grid, and comprising or being        communicatively coupled to a second communication unit        configured to transmit information relating to the energy        storage system and to receive control signals;    -   a control unit, comprising a third communication unit,        configured to receive the information relating to the local        energy source from the first communication unit, and the        information relating to the energy storage system from the        second communication unit, and a processing unit;

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine, based on thereceived information, an allocation of energy in the home grid to theenergy storage system, and to accordingly generate a control signal forthe energy storage;

wherein the third communication unit is further configured to transmitthe generated control signal to the energy storage system.

The first communication unit may be unit integrated with or coupled tothe inverter of a solar panel system—such an inverter is always neededat least to convert the DC current produced by the panels into ACcurrent for the home grid and may additionally have security and safetyfunctions. Primarily, this first communication unit is configured totransmit information about the current energy production; however, itmay also transmit other information, for instance from sensors of thesolar panel system, and it may also in some cases be able to receiveinformation, for instance instructions to change an orientation of thesolar panel.

The energy storage system preferably consists of a base and a battery,wherein the second communication unit is preferably integrated with orcoupled to the base. For instance, the second communication unit can beintegrated with a controller of the energy storage system, furtherdescribed later. The second communication unit is configured to transmitinformation relating to the energy storage system: this will in manycases primarily be information relating to the amount of energy storedin the energy storage system and/or the rate of charging/discharging,but it may include much more information, for instance from sensors. Theenergy storage system may also comprise an inverter; in suchembodiments, the second communication unit can be incorporated in orintegrated with this inverter, which may then also include, be part of,or be coupled to a controller of the energy storage system.

The control unit can be a hardware unit, and may even be part of thelocal energy source or the energy storage system; however, it isadvantageously embodied as a cloud service. The control unit receivesinformation from the local energy source and from the energy storagesystem, and the processing unit according generated control signals toadvantageously allocate energy present in the home grid, which controlsignals are then transmitted to the energy storage unit by the thirdcommunication unit. For instance, if the control unit receivesinformation indicating that the local energy source is not producingenergy, it may instruct the energy storage system to shut off and/or tonot take any energy from the home grid such that no energy will be drawnfrom the public grid for this system.

In one advantageous embodiment, the first and the second communicationunits are configured for operation in accordance with one or morewireless networks. More particularly, it is deemed advantageous that thefirst and second communication units are configured for communicationvia a wireless local area network, whereas the third communication unitis coupled to said local area network via an external connection,typically a wired connection such as a cable connection.

Preferably, the first and the second communication units are configuredfor wireless communication between each other separate from any localarea network. This configuration is in an advantageous embodimentarranged with hardware and/or software means for wireless communicationaccording to a further wireless communication protocol. This allowsexchange between the said communication units even in the case that thelocal area network would not work. Furthermore, it allows a more directcommunication. In one implementation, the said exchange via a furtherwireless communication protocol may be configured for transmission ofdata from the solar panel to the energy storage system, either uponrequest of the energy storage system or upon request of the solar panel,or in a manner that both options are feasible.

In a further implementation, the energy storage system, and particularlyan inverter thereof, further comprises a controller configured tocontrol the charging and discharging of the battery, dependent on theinflow of energy from the solar panel and an actual local demand forenergy. By controlling the flow of energy from and to the energy storagesystem, it is feasible to ensure that the effective electricity intakeinto a home from the grid is managed. The controller is preferablyconfigured for operation in accordance with a guideline transmitted fromthe control unit. It is however not excluded that the control unit wouldprovide individual control commands. A guideline is herein defined as aset of commands to be executed during a period of time, such as forinstance 24 hours. Such guideline may further comprise several options,dependent on actual local operation, such as weather conditions,incidental, not planned use of certain equipment and the like. In thelatter case, the controller of the energy storage system is configuredto change operation between the said options, dependent on local input.

More preferably, the controller is furthermore configured for operationon the basis of information transmitted directly from the solar panel.Such configuration is for instance implemented in that the controllerwithin the energy storage system is configured to modify a guidelinereceived from the control unit, under certain conditions specifiedtherein. For instance, in case that information from the solar panel isreceived that the electricity production is reduced with 50% (due tochange in weather conditions), the controller in the energy system maymodify the protocol of charging so as to stop charging in order toensure coverage of base electricity consumption in the household.

Preferably, the energy storage system is furthermore configured formonitoring a charging state and/or for monitoring presence of batteries,and the said controller within the energy storage system is configuredfor using any resulting monitoring information for controlling thecharging and/or discharging. The configuration may be arranged asspecific sensors and/or by means for carrying out an electrical test onthe charging state and/or the presence of a battery.

The controller in the energy storage system is furthermore preferablyprovided with an internal clock enabling to enable a change in operationof the energy storage system (i.e. less or more charging or discharging)at a predefined moment in time, as for instance specified in aguideline.

The controller is in a further embodiment provided with a memory forstorage of monitored data and/or information received from the solarpanel and/or data relating to the actual charging or dischargingactivity of the energy storage system. In again a further embodiment,the third communication unit of the control unit may send any requestfor information overview to the controller, said information overviewincluding such data as stored in the memory associated with thecontroller. In this manner, the exchange of information with theexternal third communication unit may be limited to periods when thecontrol unit is free for (capable of) receiving such data. Furthermore,such way of information exchange facilitates transmission of data insecured manner, such as by way of any encryption. In such a case, thecontroller may be provided with means for encrypting information to betransmitted to the third communication unit.

In embodiments, the energy storage system further comprises at least oneconnection port for connecting additional energy storage units,preferably in series, thus forming a modular energy storage system witha plurality of energy storage units. This makes it possible for a userto easily extend the energy storage capabilities to her needs.

In embodiments, the energy storage system further comprises a wirelesspower transmission unit, arranged such that a removable, portable energystorage unit comprising a wireless power reception unit may be chargedif it is positioned in a charging position. This allows a user to chargea portable, energy storage unit from the local energy source, and totake it along to another location as needed as an island battery.

In embodiments, the system comprises a plurality of energy storagesystems, each plugged into a separate power socket of the home grid, andhence connected in parallel. This has as an advantage that the twoenergy storage systems may be individually controlled by the controlunit.

In advantageous embodiments, the control unit is also configured to beable to communicate, via the third communication unit, with a user'smobile communication device (such as a smart phone or tablet) or withanother user device (such as a laptop or PC), and to provide this userdevice with information about the energy allocation, the local energysource and/or the energy storage system. In embodiments, the user devicemay also allow a user to input instructions which are sent to the thirdcommunication unit of the control unit to influence the energyallocation in the system. For instance, the user may be able to installa specific app on her device to enable communication with the controlunit.

If energy consuming devices are also plugged into the home grid, thiswill cause a draw on the home grid. Information about this may be takeninto account by the control unit as well—this information could bereceived from the second communication unit, but also from othersources. If the control unit receives information indicating that thelocal energy source produces more energy than is needed by energyconsuming devices plugged into the home grid, it may allocate a certainpercentage of the produced energy to the energy storage system, suchthat energy from the local energy source is used both for charging theenergy storage system/battery and to power the energy consuming devices.This allocation may be done in terms of percentage (e.g. “allocate 20%of energy produced by the local energy source to the energy storagesystem” or in absolute values “allocate x Watts to the energy storagesystem”).

In embodiments, the control unit is configured to provide a forecast fora forthcoming period of energy consumption either by way of directmonitoring or a user profile and energy production. On the basis thereofand the extent to which the means for local storage of electricity hasbeen loaded, the processing unit of the control unit will generatecontrol signals for the energy storage system, for instance instructingthe energy storage system to load (take electricity) or unload (supplyelectricity), and in particular also how much to load or unload.

In embodiments, the control unit further comprises or is communicativelyconnected to a memory, and is configured for recording energyconsumption and production as a function of time over a certain period.Both consumption and production tend to follow patterns, which will beanalysed by automated algorithms (Artificial Intelligence) for eachuser. The control unit may further be configured to specify a pattern ofenergy production and a pattern of energy consumption as a function oftime for a predefined period such as for instance 24 hours. Such patternis thereafter used by the control unit in generating a forecast forenergy production and energy consumption for a forthcoming period of forinstance 30 minutes, 1 hours, 2 hours, 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24hours, or remaining time until a predefined moment in time, such asmidnight.

In embodiments, the control unit is further configured to receiveinformation on an actual state, to compare such received information onan actual state with a forecast, and to determine whether actualelectricity production and/or consumption is below the forecast, equalto the forecast or above the forecast.

In embodiments, the third communication unit also receives informationfrom other devices, and the control unit may take this into account inallocating energy. For instance, it is increasingly common forhouseholds to have a so-called “smart” meter, which registers much moreprecisely how much energy is drawn from the energy grid, and if relevanthow much energy is output to the energy grid, and which are usuallyequipped with a dedicated communication unit. Such a communication unitcould send information to the third communication unit, which may betaken into account by the control unit—for example, if information isreceived that energy is being output to the energy grid, the controlunit could determine to allocate more energy to charging the energystorage system, if this is possible. Furthermore, in some embodiments,the control unit may generate control commands so as to effectivelylimit supply of electricity to the home grid from the public grid to apredefined level for a predefined period of time. The supply may bespecified to be zero, to have a predefined maximum value, to have afixed value or otherwise in accordance with a predefined protocol. Thisis embodied by means of controlling the charging and discharging of theenergy storage system.

In certain embodiments, a meter measuring supply of electricity from thepublic grid to the home grid is provided with a communication unit. Sucha meter is also known as a “smart meter”. Preferably, this communicationunit is coupled into the system, such that the control unit may read outthe meter, or that transmitted data on the meter can be obtained by thecontrol unit. In a further implementation the control unit isfurthermore configured for comparing said data from the meter withinformation from the local energy storage system and optionally thelocal energy source. The control unit may further be configured togenerate a test and/or to provide a report in the event of mismatchbetween data transmitted from the smart meter and information from thelocal energy storage system and local energy source. The test forinstance involves regular monitoring of the said data and saidinformation, for instance every hour and/or every day during a testperiod and storing such data. The test may further comprise read out ofdata and/or information when the system is in a predefined test state.

In embodiments, which can be but need not be combined with the previousembodiments, if at least one of the energy consuming devices is aso-called “smart” or “Internet of Things (IoT)” device, having adedicated communication unit, information from this device could also betaken into account, for instance with respect to expected energyrequirements. In advantageous embodiments, the control unit may even becapable of generating control signals for the “smart” energy consumingdevice. For instance, if a smart dish washer is plugged into the homegrid, a user could indicate, via an interface of smart dish washeritself or via an app on a user device, that she would like the dishes tobe done before a certain time. The control unit can then determine,based on gathered information and potentially also on predictions, whatthe best time would be to switch on the dish washer in the allocatedtime period, and allocate energy accordingly.

In embodiments, which can be but need not be combined with previouslydescribed embodiments, additional information may be gathered fromexternal sources, such as the internet or a data provider. For instance,weather information and predictions could be retrieved and taken intoaccount, in particular to estimate and/or predict energy production; ascould pricing information relating to both the buying of energy from andthe delivering of energy to the public grid.

The object of the invention may be further achieved according to asecond aspect in a method of energy allocation in a home networkcomprising a local energy source, a local energy storage system and ahome grid, to which said local energy source and the local energystorage system are connected and which is furthermore provided withaccess to a public grid, which local energy source and which energystorage system respectively comprises a first communication unit and asecond communication unit configured for communication via a wirelesslocal area network to a third communication unit of a control unit,which method comprising the step of controlling charging and/ordischarging in the local energy storage system in dependence onelectricity production by the local energy source and electricityconsumption in the home network.

In one preferred implementation, the charging and/or discharging is setso as to minimize flow of electricity from the public grid into the homegrid or vice versa. More preferably, such a setting of minimizing flowof electricity between the public grid and the home grid is arrangedduring a predetermined period, such as for instance half a day (12hours), a full day (24 hours), a week (7 days). Herein, the dischargingand/or charging of the local energy storage system is controlled notmerely in view of actual production and consumption of electricity butalso on a forecast of energy production and consumption in the saidpredetermined period.

The forecast may be obtained based on monitoring electricity consumptionand production as a function of time (such as time during the day), useof public information (such as a weather forecast) and user informationprovided by a user, for instance by means of a user device coupled intothe system. In order to carry out monitoring, it is preferred thatinformation is transmitted from the local energy source and the localenergy storage system to the control unit by means of the specifiedcommunication units. The system is further configured for storage ofsuch information and/or for processing of such information in accordancewith a protocol (i.e. as defined in a computer program), so as to deriveeffective production and consumption as a function of time. In order touse public information, the system is preferably provided with means forobtaining such information, wherein the protocol is configured so thatsuch public information can be used as input thereto, so as to estimatean effective production (and consumption) forecast. Means forincorporating user information are known per se to the skilled person.

Preferably, the controlling step comprises:

-   -   transmitting an operation guideline from the control unit to the        energy storage system;    -   receiving information on actual electricity production and        electricity consumption,    -   modifying the operation guideline based on the received        information, when needed and    -   setting a rate of charging or discharging in conformation with        the operation guideline.

As explained hereinabove with reference to the system of the invention,the guideline is advantageous to allow cooperation of the control unitwith a local controller, such that the local controller is configured tomodify settings of the operation guideline based on locally generatedinformation, without full dependence on the externally located controlunit.

Any further embodiment and implementation discussed hereinabove withrespect to the system is also applicable to the method of the invention.It will be further understood that the method of the invention ispreferably performed on the system of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will be further elucidated at the hand of the figures,wherein

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the claimed system;

FIG. 2 shows some of the elements included in an embodiment of thesystem in an abstracted manner;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of individual elements of a first embodimentof an energy storage system for use in the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the energy storage system of FIG. 3 in bird's eyeperspective, including more batteries and cable connections betweenseveral elements;

FIG. 5 shows the energy storage system of FIG. 3 in assembled form;

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a local energy source which may beincluded in the system, specifically a solar panel;

FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6 according to a differentperspective;

FIG. 8 shows a possible screen for monitoring and control of one or moresolar panels included in an embodiment of the system;

FIGS. 9A-9C show possible screens for monitoring and control of anenergy storage system included in an embodiment of the system, accordingto different situations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment; not all shownelements need to be included in all embodiments of the claimed system.Equal reference numerals in different figures refer to equal orcorresponding elements.

FIG. 1 shows a home grid 200. Plugged into this home grid are localenergy source 10, for instance a solar panel system, which comprises afirst communication unit 11; an energy storage system 20, whichcomprises a second communication unit 21; and a plurality of energyconsuming devices 50, 60, and 70, wherein one of the energy consumingdevices 50 is a “smart” device including a communication unit 51. Homegrid 200 is connected to the public grid 1 via a smart meter 40, whichalso comprises a communication unit 41.

FIG. 1 also depicts a user device 80, comprising a communication unit81, a processing unit 82, an input unit 83, and a display 84. Thisdevice could for instance be a smart phone or tablet, but is not limitedthereto. With this user device, a user can access information, such asinformation about current, past, and/or predicted energy production;information about current, past, and/or predicted energy usage by theenergy consuming devices; information about current, past and/orpredicted charging state of the energy storage system; etc. The userdevice may also allow a user to put in preferences about energyallocation. This may take many forms: it could be that a user can simplyinput commands for the energy storage system and optionally smartdevices directly, but other options are also possible, for instanceinputting a weighting of factors to be taken into account by the controlunit.

FIG. 1 further shows control unit 30, comprising a communication unit 31and a processing unit 32. In the figure, this control unit is depictedsymbolically as being part of “the cloud”, 100. This is indeed true forpreferred embodiments, but a local control unit 30 may also be used.Furthermore, the communication unit 81 and processing unit 82 of theuser device may also constitute or be part of the control unit in someembodiments.

Additionally, note that the “control unit” may in fact consist ofseveral communicatively coupled control units: for instance, the energystorage system may have a processing unit and be able to perform somecontrol itself, based on limited input. For instance, the energy storagesystem may comprise an inverter including a further control unitconfigured for controlling the energy allocation to at least one energyconsuming devices plugged into the home grid and comprising aprogrammable clock, so as to define a time at which operation of thedevice is to start and/or maintenance of the devoice is to start. Acontrol program to be executed and to be monitored may in these cases beloaded on the further control unit, for instance via commands fromcontrol unit 30. On the basis of monitoring data obtained from localenergy source 10 and optionally any other monitoring data, for instancefrom the meter 40, the further control unit is then configured foroptimizing the control program within pre-defined limits. The advantageof this architecture is that the need for transmission of data over thehome network and out of the home to control unit 30 can be minimized.This minimizes the risk for failure due to malperformance of dataexchange and the risk that any third non-authorized person may getaccess to such data on production and consumption of electricity, forinstance to trace whether anybody is actually at home.

Note that while in FIG. 1 , arrows depict information exchange directlyfrom communication unit 31 of control unit 30 to each other the othercommunication devices, this is not intended to imply that communicationalways needs to be direct, and information may also be relayed betweenvarious communication units. Furthermore, as will be shown in FIG. 2 ,information within the home may be transferred to a control unit in “thecloud” via, for instance, a WLAN router, with the communication units11, 21, 41, 51 and/or 81 being embodied as WiFi communication units inthe local area network.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous for first communication unit 11 oflocal energy source 10 and second communication unit 21 of energystorage system 20 to be configured to be able to communicate with eachother through direct wireless communication—using such protocols as RESTAPIs, using Oauth2 authentication, and MQTT. This direct communicationmay be the default for these communication units, but may also be usedas a fallback if communication via the home WLAN-network is notfunctioning properly.

These examples are not intended to be limitative, and many alternativecommunications methods, preferably but not necessarily wirelesscommunication methods, can be used and/or combined.

FIG. 2 shows some of the elements of the system in a more figurativemanner. Local energy source 10 consists of solar panels plus an inverterconnected to a wireless communication unit 11, wherein the local energysource is plugged into a first power socket/outlet 201 of home grid 200;the energy storage system 10 is shown as a base plugged into a secondpower socket/outlet 202 of home grid 200 with a battery plus inverterand a wireless communication unit 21. Both first wireless communicationunit 11 and second wireless communication unit 21 exchange informationwirelessly with WiFi router 300, which router is in communication withcloud 100, which performs the function of control unit 30. User device80 is also capable of communicating with cloud 100, can receiveinformation about the home grid therefrom, and may also send informationto cloud 100 to control energy allocation in the home grid.

Embodiments of the system, for instance as depicted in FIG. 1 and/orFIG. 2 , may allow one or more of the following use-cases to beimplemented:

a. Stand-alone|In this case, a user plugs a local energy source, such asa solar panel, and an energy storage system, into home grid powersockets/outlets. The two are coupled to a wireless data or informationnetwork, for instance a WLAN network, for provision of information to acontrol unit, and via the communication unit of the control unit, to auser device, such as a mobile phone. No other devices need to beconnected, no power usage data is collected. Hence, usage profilescannot be created. Energy production data is provided to the user deviceand displayed to the user on the display. The user may then choosewhether to charge only when the local energy source, for instance asolar panel, is producing electricity, or to manually program the energystorage system to charge and discharge according to the time of day. Inboth cases of charge/discharge, either in connection with local energyproduction as chosen by time, the user can regulate the power. E.g., theuser may input instructions to charge the energy storage system when thelocal energy source is producing with 50% of capacity. This means thatthe energy storage system will only charge 50% of the reported poweroutput, leaving the remaining 50% to discharge directly from the localenergy source into the home grid for use in energy consuming devicesplugged into the home grid. Additionally or alternatively, the user mayinput, via the input unit of the user device, instructions relating towhen to discharge the stored power and, again, at what power level.E.g., the user may input instructions to discharge the energy storagesystem from 18:00 until 24:00 at 50 W. Re-charging of the energy storagesystem will re-initiate when the local energy source starts producingenergy again. Additionally or alternatively, for instance if the userhas a variable electricity contract, she may choose to charge the energystorage system during a specific time period, day or night, whenever theelectricity from the grid might be cheapest. Discharge then functionsidentically. Any energy produced by the local energy source is then usedby the home grid, as energy consuming devices demand it.

b. Usage-Driven|This use-case is in particular relevant if a so-called“smart” meter is present in the system, wherein data from this meter,such as energy supply data, can be made available to the control unit.This data may for instance be released by the power companies at theuser's behest to create a more detailed user profile. Usage data isgathered live or once a day and a comprehensive profile developed overtime. Certain peaks of maximum usage are then likely to become evident.The production and storage capacities may then be used as input for analgorithm to minimize those usage peaks, depending on the availablestorage capacity of the energy storage system. In certain cases, other“smart”/IoT devices, such as smart thermostats, may also be configuredto supply information to the control unit, for instance to

i. Optimize a consumption curve even further to increase use ofrenewable, locally produced electricity;

ii. Regulate heating/cooling, appliances, etc. to minimize costs.

c. Micro-Grid|Several embodiments of the claimed system can be connectedto either small direct grids (e.g. several apartments in one building)or virtual micro grids in a geographic area. The control unit may thencontrol several systems in a micro grid to further optimize theirrenewable electricity consumption and minimize costs by using bothproduction and storage capacity within the network. E.g. the excesspower produced by one user can be consumed or stored by other users whenthey require electricity.

d. Price-Driven|In certain embodiments wherein there is a possibility ofcooperation with power companies and power brokers, it is possible toprovide information about power contracts to the control unit, based ongeographical residence, from which the user may choose the most suitableone. An algorithm will then develop a charge/discharge cycle to optimizecost, based on the stored pricing information of variable pricecontracts. Note that this does not necessitate the presence of a localenergy source in the home grid, but can be used separately.

FIG. 3-5 show an energy storage system 20 according to a firstembodiment. The energy storage system 20 of this embodiment is composedof several elements 23, 24, 25, 26, which are mutually electricallyconnected and—partly mechanically connected into an assembly. FIGS. 3and 4 show the individual elements of the system 20, FIG. 5 shows thesystem 20 in an assembled state. As shown in FIG. 5 , herein the systemcomprises an assembly of a base 23, a first battery 24 and a poweroutlet 26. Coupled thereto are any optional extra batteries 25. Eachsuch extra battery is present in a battery holder 27, which is connectedby means of a cable 271 to a cable connector 234 of the base 23, and maybe provided with a gripper 279.

The base 23 is provided in this first embodiment with the secondcommunication unit 21. Shown in this figure is an antenna. It will beunderstood by a skilled person that further electrical components of thesecond communication unit 21 (such as a transceiver) are hidden withinthe base 23. The base 23 furthermore comprises a controller 22—not shownin FIG. 3-5 . The controller is suitably a microcontroller chip; notethat the second communication unit 21 may then also be provided on orusing this microcontroller chip. It may be provided with a memory. Thebase is further provided with a bottom side 231 and a top side 232. Atthe top side 232, a socket 233 is present to which a battery 24 can beconnected. This socket 233 provides both a mechanical connection and anelectrical connection so as to charge and/or discharge the battery 24.The base is also provided with a cable connection to the power grid 235via connector 236.

The battery 24 is typically a conventional lithium-ion battery as knownin the art. The battery 24 is provided with an on/off button 241 for useas an island battery, to conserve power, a display 242 and a connector243 on its topside, onto which a further unit 26 can be provided. Thefurther unit 26 is in this embodiment a power outlet unit, whichcomprises a socket 261 and a wireless charging plate 262. The furtherunit 26 is also provided with a connector 263, which matches theconnector 243 of the battery 24. The battery 24 is furthermore providedwith a grip 249.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an embodiment of a solar panel as a local energysource, from two different perspectives, comprising a photovoltaic array101, a support structure 102, a cable connection to the power grid 103,and an inverter 104. Note that this particular embodiment is not onlyplug-and-play, i.e. pluggable into a generic power socket using cableconnection 102, but intended to be portable: it may be positioned asneeded using support structure 102, which may in embodiments beconfigured to allow for a plurality of orientations of the photovoltaicarray. Typically, first communication unit 11 (not shown in thesefigures) will be incorporated into inverter 104, but it may also beembodied as a separate unit.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example screen for an application (“app”) for aportable device used in the context of the present system. In thisexample, a first section 801 shows the power generation in the last day,with buttons also allowing a user to see instead the power generationfor the past week, month or year. A second section 802 shows the totalpower produced, and the associated carbon reduction achieved. A thirdsection 803 shows a graph of the production over time. A fourth section804 comprises a slide button 806 which allows a user to turn off all thepanels if so desired. A fifth or menu section 805 allows a user toaccess different section, such as a dashboard, a battery monitoring andcontrol screen, and settings—the “panel” icon is emphasized to makeclear which screen is presently being shown.

FIGS. 9A-9C show example screens for the application, which may be shownwhen selecting the “battery” option in menu section 805—fifth or menusection 905 is then modified to emphasize the battery icon instead ofthe “panels” icon. Specifically, FIG. 9A shows an example screen thatmay be displayed when the energy storage system is charging and a localenergy source, specifically one or more solar panels, is present in thesystem. FIG. 9B shows an example screen that may be displayed when theenergy storage system is charging and there is no local energy sourcecurrently present in the system. FIG. 9C shows an example screen thatmay be displayed when the energy storage system is discharging. Notethat where the proportions of a screen are such that the screen cannotbe fully displayed on the screen of a portable device, it may beembodiment in a scrollable manner.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show possible screens when the energy storage system ischarging, i.e. taking energy from the home grid. This is indicated in afirst section 901 of the screen, in which the word “Charging” isemphasized and the word “Discharging” is de-emphasized. Second section902 of the screen shows the percentage of the energy storage systemwhich is charged, and furthermore specifies how much power (in Wh) theenergy storage system is able to provide as a result. Second section 902also shows the evolution of the charge of the energy storage system overtime, for instance throughout the week. In a third section 903, someinformation is given about the energy storage system, namely in thisexample the storage capacity, whether charging is on, and an indicationof the health of the local energy storage system.

The energy that the energy storage system is taking from the home gridmay be energy generated by a local energy source such as one or moresolar panels or energy from the public grid—note that the energy storagesystem by itself cannot distinguish between the two. Therefore, in thefourth section 904, it may be indicated—either by a user, or by thecontrol unit based on whether or not it receives information indicatingthat a local energy source is plugged into the system, and optionallythe content of information received from a local energy source, ifpresent—whether the energy storage system is charging from “solar” (oranother local energy source) or “grid”.

The remainder of the screen may be adapted based on the chosen ordetermined source of charge. FIG. 9A shows an example screen which maybe displayed in a situation in which the battery is charging from one ormore solar panels (or another local energy source). In such a case,sixth section 906 shows a slide bar indicating how much of the generatedpower is distributed to the energy storage system/battery, and how muchis left in the house grid for other energy consuming devices. Note thatthe shown bar indicated percentages, but allocation of a specific amountof power is also possible. A user may use this slide bar to assign acertain percentage of generated power to the battery, or the controlunit may set the percentage to an advantageous value based oninformation received from various sources. Seventh section 907 shows atick box, which the user can tick to indicate that that the energystorage system should charge from the grid when there is no sun (i.e.when information received from the local energy source indicates thatthere is little to no power production), or untick to indicate that theenergy storage system should refrain from charging when there is no sun.

Note that while most examples given in this specification assume thatthere is a local energy source plugged into the system, the energystorage system may be advantageously used even in the absence of such asource. FIG. 9B shows a possible screen that can be displayed in such asituation. Instead of sixth section 906 and seventh section 907, eighthsection 908 and ninth section 909 are displayed: eighth section 908comprises a tick box which the user can tick to indicate that chargingshould be limited to a certain period, and ninth section 909 shows dropdown menus which a user can use to indicate a starting time for chargingand an end time for charging. Note that ninth section 909 could be leftempty if the tick box in section 908 is unticked. Finally, note that thestart time and end time could also be determined by the control unitbased on information received from various sources in certainembodiments.

FIG. 9C shows an example screen for when the battery is discharging.This is indicated in first section 901 by emphasizing the word“discharging” and de-emphasizing the word “charging”. Furthermore, theinformation in second section 902 may be modified to show, instead ofthe charged percentage and energy stored, the amount of power dischargedin the current day (or in another period of time). Third section 903 maybe modified to indicate that discharging is on, instead of charging, butotherwise may remain the same. The screen may further include a tenthsection 310 indicating a discharging percentage. An eleventh section 911may include a tick box which a user can tick to indicate thatdischarging should be limited to a certain period, with twelfth section912 then shows drop down menus which a user can use to indicate astarting time for (dis)charging and an end time for (dis)charging. Notethat twelfth section 912 could be left empty if the tick box in eleventhsection 911 is unticked. Finally, note that the start time and end timecould also be determined by the control unit based on informationreceived from various sources in certain embodiments.

It should be clear that the shown screens are intended merely to showthe possibilities and not to limit the interface to the specificarrangement shown. Many other configurations are possible to allow auser to monitor the local energy source(s) and energy storage system(s)plugged into the home grid and exchanging information with the controlunit; and preferably also to allow a user to control the local energysource(s) and energy storage system(s) plugged into the home griddirectly or by providing the control unit with certain preferencesand/or constraints.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 public grid

10 local energy source

11 first communication unit

101 photovoltaic array

102 solar panel support structure

103 solar panel cable connection to power grid

104 inverter

20 energy storage system

21 second communication unit

22 controller (of the energy storage system)

23 base

231 top side of base

232 bottom side of base

233 socket for battery connection

234 cable connector to extra batteries 25

235 cable connection to power grid

236 connector

24 first battery

241 on/off button

242 display

243 connector for power outlet unit

249 gripper

25 extra battery

26 power outlet unit

261 socket

262 wireless charging plate

263 connector to battery

27 holder for extra battery

271 cable to holder 27

279 gripper

30 control unit

31 third communication unit

32 processing unit

40 smart meter, i.e. electricity meter that can be read out electrically(via wireless and/or wired communication)

41 communication unit

50, 60, 70 energy consuming devices

51 communication unit of device 50

80 user device

81 communication unit

82 processing unit

83 input unit

84 display

800 example screen

801 first section

802 second section

803 third section

804 fourth section

805 fifth or menu section

806 slide button

901 first section

902 second section

903 third section

904 fourth section

905 fifth or menu section

906 sixth section

907 seventh section

908 eighth section

909 ninth section

910 tenth section

911 eleventh section

912 twelfth section

100 cloud

200 home grid

201 first power socket/outlet

202 second power socket/outlet

300 WiFi router

The invention claimed is:
 1. An energy allocation system, comprising: a control unit; a battery controller to route electrical power to or from an energy storage system, wherein the battery controller is controlled by the control unit; and one or more inverters that produce AC electrical power, wherein the one or more inverters is controlled by the control unit, and wherein the control unit includes a wireless module configured to communicate instructions limiting production of the AC electrical power by at least one of the one or more inverters to selectively limit the AC electrical power reaching through an electrical utility meter to an electrical utility grid.
 2. The energy allocation system of claim 1, further comprising: an electronic device coupled with the control unit to supply a user with information regarding energy production, consumption, and configurations.
 3. The energy allocation system of claim 1, wherein the production of AC electrical power is limited based on a measurement of electricity passing between a home grid and a public grid.
 4. The energy allocation system of claim 3, further comprising: a plurality of energy storage systems, wherein each of the plurality of energy storage systems can be selectively controlled to provide electrical power.
 5. The energy allocation system of claim 1, further comprising: one or more solar panels, wherein at least one of the one or more inverters has an input that can be connected to the one or more solar panels, and outputs that can provide AC electrical power.
 6. The energy allocation system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a processing unit.
 7. The energy allocation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more inverters produces AC electrical power from DC electrical power stored by the energy storage system.
 8. The energy allocation system of claim 1, wherein the production of the AC electrical power by the at least one of the one or more inverters is not more than an amount of AC electrical power needed by energy-consuming devices powered by the home energy grid.
 9. An energy allocation system comprising: one or more solar panels that produces DC electrical power for a home energy grid, wherein at least a portion of the DC electrical power is stored in an energy storage system; one or more inverters that produces AC electric power from the DC electrical power produced by the one or more solar panels, wherein the AC electrical power is provided to energy-consuming devices powered by the home energy grid; and a control unit that manages distribution of electrical power throughout the home energy grid, wherein the control unit prevents a flow of electricity from the home energy grid to a public energy grid connected to the home energy grid based on one or more of (1) the portion of the DC electrical power stored in the energy storage system, and (2) consumption of the AC electric power by the energy-consuming devices powered by the home grid.
 10. The energy allocation system of claim 9, further comprising the energy storage system.
 11. The energy allocation system of claim 10, wherein the energy storage system further comprises a plurality of batteries, wherein each of the plurality of batteries can be selectively controlled to provide electrical power.
 12. The energy allocation system of claim 9, further comprising: a battery controller to route electrical power to or from the energy storage system, wherein the battery controller is controlled by the control unit.
 13. The energy allocation system of claim 9, further comprising: an electronic device coupled with the control unit to supply a user with information regarding energy production, consumption, and configurations.
 14. The energy allocation system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more inverters produces AC electrical power from DC electrical power stored by the energy storage system.
 15. The energy allocation system of claim 9, wherein the production of the AC electrical power by the at least one of the one or more inverters is not more than an amount of AC electrical power needed by the energy-consuming devices powered by the home energy grid.
 16. A method for allocating energy by an energy allocation system connected to a home energy grid, the method comprising: determining an amount of energy produced by one or more solar panels, wherein the amount of produced energy is provided to the home energy grid for consumption by one or more energy-consuming devices powered by the home energy grid; determining an amount of energy consumed by the one or more energy-consuming devices powered by the home energy grid; and controlling an allocation of energy in the energy allocation system based on the amount of energy produced and the amount of energy consumed to prevent a flow of electricity from the home energy grid to a public energy grid connected to the home energy grid.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the allocation of energy in the energy allocation system comprises controlling charging or discharging of the energy produced by the one or more solar panels.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling the charging or discharging of the energy produced by the one or more solar panels further comprises controlling the charging or discharging of one or more energy storage systems.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: supplying a user with information regarding energy production, consumption, and configurations.
 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising: receiving preferences from a user for controlling the allocation of energy in the energy allocation system. 